Petition to Stop Racism & Discrimination by Peet's Coffee & Tea

First, we wish to inform Peet's Coffee & Tea that their customers do not approve of the company's failure to protect its staff members because of their inability to uphold and enforce the company's stated ethics and values.

Second, it is imperative that we inform Peet's Coffee & Tea of the lasting impact Peet's barista Princeton Maharam has had on the Montclair location.

Customers have recently been informed that Princeton, one of the best barista's at Peet's Coffee & Tea Montclair, has been placed on what we feel is an unjust and possibly discriminatory administrative leave by the company. The specifics of his leave are unknown to us; however, many of Peet's Montclair customers have witnessed incidents of discrimination by the members of Peets management and staff towards Princeton in the past.

For example, on one occasion Princeton was told to go into the back of the store and hide because a customer did not want to be served by an openly gay man.

On a different occasion, customers witnessed another member of the Peet's Montclair staff attempt to physically assault Princeton and continued to behave in an openly hostile manner towards Princeton for many weeks afterward as the company, inexplicably, did not fire this team member until several months after the attempted assault.

This behavior on the part of Peet's Coffee & Tea leadership and team members is unacceptable and goes directly against Peet's stated code of conduct.

Peet's specifically lists the following as their code of conduct on their website:

"Respect for Peetniks of All Backgrounds.

As a Peet's employee, you are critical to our success, and we will treat you with fairness and respect.

Peet's is an equal opportunity employer. We do not tolerate discrimination against applicants or employees based on race, religion, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or disability...

We are committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination or harassment. We will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, unwelcome unsolicited sexual advances or harassment, or any other remarks, jokes or conduct that creates or fosters an offensive or hostile work environment. Employees at all levels of the organization must act with respect and civility towards clients, coworkers and outside firms..."

For the past eight years, Princeton has been the best barista at Peet's Coffee & Tea Montclair. His customer service has consistently gone above and beyond the level of care provided by his peers. The kindness, compassion, humanity, and acceptance that he brought to the store elevated the quality of the customer experience and, for many of us, was one of the highlights of our day.

Beyond all of these factors, the quality of Princeton's beverages cannot be matched by any other barista in the company. As loyal Peetniks ourselves, we have all been to multiple Peet's locations and Princeton's beverages have consistently surpassed the beverages served elsewhere.

Without Princeton, the atmosphere in Montclair Peet's has dramatically degenerated. It is no longer a pleasant experience for customers in the afternoons and the quality of the beverages currently being served is abysmal.

Many customers have either altered their orders or stopped coming to Montclair Peets altogether because the quality of beverages currently being served is utterly inferior to the quality we have received from Princeton in the past.

We the customers of Peet's Montclair feel Princeton Maharam is the most valuable barista at Peet's. This petition is our formal request for Peet's Coffee & Tea to stand by their stated principles of anti-discrimination and to have Princeton fully reinstated in his position.

It is our sense that an injustice is being done and, as the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." We will not allow this to stand.

Please show your support in this fight against discrimination by either signing online or visiting Montclair Peet's to sign our physical petition.